By the time of his passing in 2020, filmmaker Nobuhiko Ôbayashi had directed nearly 80 films, features and shorts, with his most recent, Labyrinth of Cinema, released in 2019. It would be his feature debut, House (1977), that would make the largest impression on global audiences, his surreal horror comedy both entertaining as a popcorn delight and evocative as a response to Ôbayashi/Japan’s experience with World War II. He would go on to work in a variety of genres, including documentary (Making of “Dreams”); drama/travelogue (His Motorbike, Her Island); and sci-fi comedy (School in the Crosshairs); rarely limiting himself to a particular storytelling genre or style, even as some visual flares might crossover. In 1983, Ôbayashi released The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (時をかける少女), an adaptation of Yasutaka Tsutsui’s 1967 romantic time travel novel, the first of several adaptations that would later release into theaters over the decades. Now, for the first time in North America, general cinephiles and fans of Ôbayashi can own The Girl Who Leapt Through Time on Blu-ray thanks to a restoration from Cult Epics, complete with brand-new and previously released bonus features, and can choose from 4K UHD, Blu-ray, or DVD options.
While performing regular clean up duties at school, Kazuko Yoshiyama (Tomoyo Harada) investigates a strange sound coming from a locked chemistry room and faints upon exposure to a strange white vapor. Upon waking, she discovers that she has the ability to transport herself in time, though she cannot control it. What she does know for certain is that this ability is connected to friends Kazuo (Ryōichi Takayanagi) and Goro (Toshinori Omi) and she must figure out this connection before she transports herself to a time and space beyond her understanding.
The following home release review is based on a 4K UHD retail copy provided by Cult Epics via MVD Entertainment Group.
Before jumping into the usual details surrounding a brand-new restoration, be advised that Third Window Films already released a Region B Blu-ray edition of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time in December 2023. There is some overlap between that edition and the one offered by Cult Epics from packaging to bonus features and the following home review will try to address as much as possible based on the retail copy available from Cult Epics and what Third Window Films advertises on their site. (Of additional note, U.K.-based users can acquire the Third Window Films edition from Arrow Video.) First of all, Third Window’s edition includes an archival interview with Ôbayashi, the “Tomoyo Harada Story” featurette, Toki O Kakeru Shojo music video, and original trailer. All four of these appear to be accounted for on the Cult Epics edition. Additionally, both versions include a similar photo of Kazuko standing in a hallway facing forward, though the cropping of said scene appears to be tighter on the Cult Epics edition and has a different font and formatting style for the film title.
The main differences with the Cult Epics edition start with the packaging. The included slipcover features new artwork by Sam Smith, who has collaborated with Cult Epics on the previous three Ôbayashi restorations — The Island Closest to Heaven, School in the Crosshairs, and His Motorbike, Her Island — which places more emphasis on the lavender Kazuko smells when she inhales the white vapor, as well as incorporating a few small moments from the film. Unfortunately, this new art is only included on the slipcover and not on the reversible liner which features the aforementioned film still of Kazuko in the front-facing side and a still from the chemistry lab on the interior side. The official description of the packaging suggests that the slip is reversible and it’s not; this is just a standard issue slip. Separate from the slip and liner, the 4K UHD edition is advertised as including a reproduction of the 24-page Japanese booklet (only for the first-pressing) and an exclusive Japanese poster postcard. The review copy provided by MVD Entertainment Group does include the booklet (filled with behind-the-scenes and film stills, as well as various promotional images), but did not include the poster postcard.
Update 3/6/26: A representative from Cult Epics reached out to clarify that the web-exclusive edition is the version with postcards and reversible slipcover. The retail edition I received matches the description of the regular 4K UHD edition. Additionally, the representative confirmed that the restoration transfer (more below) was created off a film negative.
THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME 4K UHD packshot. Photo courtesy of Cult Epics/MVD Entertainment Group.
What will intrigue individuals are the new materials on this edition. There’s the 4K UHD transfer, audio commentary from film critic Alex Pratt, the 24-minute visual essay “A Movie: Ôbayashi’s Cinematic Life” from Max Robinson, the 16-minute visual essay “Now and Then, Here and There: Onomichi Pt. 2” by Pratt, and a 2015 Japan Society NY event featuring a brief conversation with Ôbayashi. The 4K UHD edition does not include any information whatsoever on the restoration in terms of how it was sourced and completed, but we’ll discuss that more shortly. What folks will want to dive into are the visual essays which each approach Ôbayashi from different perspectives. Robinson’s “A Movie: Ôbayashi’s Cinematic Life” offers a detailed look at Ôbayashi life and career, establishing the filmmaker’s love of cinema in his youth, to his experimental style in his shorts, to his first feature as a response to post-World War II Japan, and beyond, creating a context for the filmmaker’s lengthy career. Pratt’s essay, “Now and Then, Here and There: Onomichi Pt. 2,” goes a step further from Robinson and his look at The Girl Who Leapt Through Time by taking us with him on a visit to Onomichi, Japan, Ôbayashi’s birthplace and the location for the shoot. It’s a touch cheeky, to be sure, to explore locations then-and-now for a film involving time travel, yet it ends up revealing some lovely details. For those interested in learning about filmmaking from the source themselves, the included 22-minute 2015 conversation with Ôbayashi does exactly that, offering up a complimentary featurette to the previously-available archived interview with Ôbayashi.
The restoration itself is the star of the show and it does impress, so it is disappointing that Cult Epics provides zero information on how the restoration of the Girl Who Leapt Through Time was completed — no notes anywhere on sourcing, materials, processing, or mastering for the sound and picture elements. There’s plenty of natural grain for the enthusiasts to enjoy, and Yoshitaka Sakamoto’s (House; School in the Crosshairs) cinematography is maintained. We’re just treated to additional detail in each frame, balanced colors (important for the naturalistic scenes to separate them from the heightened moments), and improved depth. There’s no changing some of the more dated technological approaches, such as the transition in the opening scene to indicate the shift from winter to spring as the students ride the train home from their field trip which has portions of the frame in color and others more muted/somewhat monochromatic; however, the HDR, in particular, aids in making some elements pop just a little more. The white vapor, for instance, stands out against the dark green of the lab; the blue of the lamp light against the black of their surroundings as Kazuko and Kazuo walk home one night; or the resplendent purple of the lavender in the greenhouse — quality HDR uplifting the cinematography while keeping the image within the perspective of the filmmaker’s intention. The 4K UHD edition also includes a 5.1 audio track, as well as a 2.1, and while the sound is clean and crisp with no suggestion of damage, there’s nothing within the picture that supports the need for 5.1 beyond trying to entice modern viewers to use their current system to its fullest. Barely a sound was registered through the surround speakers in EoM’s 5.1 system, whereas the front and center speakers did the majority of the heavy lifting. To that end, you’d really just be fine viewing the film with the 2.1 audio setting. From a technical perspective, the bitrate on the restoration hovers within the 80 Mbps range, jumping into the 90s and higher in close-up and dipping down in wider shots. At no point does the on-disc presentation drop or otherwise demonstrate the shift in bitrate when changes occur and the bulk of the picture the bitrate remains in the 80s. This is significant as Blu-rays max at 40 Mbps, signifying that the 4K UHD edition generally holds around double the bitrate of a standard HD edition.
**Given the age of the film and its various adaptations/reworkings, the following thoughts on the film operate under the assumption that you possess an understanding of the film and its characters.**
Tsutsui’s novel has been adapted several times since 1983, including (not but limited to) an animated adaptation by Mamoru Hosoda in 2006 and a twist on the tale via 2025’s Rewrite from filmmaker Daigo Matsui. Ôbayashi’s approach is both light and dreamy with an emphasis on the natural aesthetic that makes the island of Onomichi such a prominent aspect of the film until it must embrace the sci-fi elements that make up the time travel elements. Perhaps it’s because of decades of more adventurous time travel stories, but the slowness of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is by far the most surprising aspect. Rather than being an adventure story, it’s more of a drama, with the film exploring the concepts of love and destiny through Kazuko’s doomed relationships. What’s fascinating is how the film, intentionally or not, implies that Kazuko was meant to be in love with Goro, but through Kazuo’s meddling with memory as a time-traveler, not only was Goro replaced as the object of her affection, it then became unrequited through Kazuko’s need to return to his time. So while Kazuko struggles to understand why she can remember an earthquake and a fire no one else does, why the arrows she fires during her extracurricular period continually vanish, and other elements that make her question her sanity, the one aspect that truly troubles one and breaks the heart is how Kazuko could’ve had the love she longed for if not for Kazuo manipulating the memories of the people of that time in order to conduct his research. One might suspect that the film is meant to be sweet, even romantic, but it all feels cruel in the conclusion.
Considering the influence on cinema Ôbayashi’s had, one welcomes the restorations of his work in new formats with additional features for no other reason than it affords one a chance to explore them. If all someone ever saw was House, their view of the filmmaker (and their own cinematic experience) would be narrower and far more dull. It’s by playing in different genres, in continually pushing oneself, that a filmmaker sharpens their skills and their perspective — the same of which can be said of viewers who limit themselves to one genre, one country, or one time. To that end, for the quality of the video restoration and the number of included bonus features, plus the newly-found North American access, this edition is an easy recommendation for those looking to explore Ôbayashi’s early works or who just don’t want to have to bother with a region-free player.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time 4K UHD Special Features:
- *NEW* 4K Transfer & Restoration + HDR
- *NEW* Audio Commentary by film critic Alex Pratt
- *NEW* A Movie: Ôbayashi’s Cinematic Life – Visual essay by Max Robinson (23:39)
- *NEW* Now and Then, Here and There: Onomichi Pt. 2 – Visual essay by Alex Pratt (16:29)
- *NEW* A Conversation with Nobuhiko Ôbayashi (2015) Japan Society NY (21:59)
- *NEW* improved English subtitles
- Director Nobuhiko Obayashi Archival Interview
- The Tomoyo Harada Story
- Toki O Kakeru Shojo music video
- Theatrical Trailers
- Reversible sleeve with original Japanese poster art
- First Pressing includes repro 24-page Japanese booklet
- Exclusive Reversible Slipcase art design by Sam Smith
- Exclusive Japanese poster postcard
Available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD February 24th, 2026.
For more information, head to the official Cult Epics The Girl Who Leapt Through Time webpage.
To purchase, head to the official MVD Entertainment Group The Girl Who Leapt Through Time webpage.
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Categories: Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews
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